Unfortunately, these are not isolated examples, as the main office of The Hunting Report has received similar calls. I'm also aware of a formal complaint that has been filed in one state. Finally, I have a newspaper story about a controversy that erupted over the use of a paraplane.
In my mind, there are two issues at stake here: actually using an aircraft while hunting and using one to locate a trophy for someone else. Let's cover the actual use of an aircraft first. It seems that most state regulations mirror federal law, or go beyond it in imposing restrictions. The relevant federal law here is the Airborne Hunting Act, which "...prohibits taking of wildlife with an aircraft, prohibits harassment of wildlife with an aircraft and prohibits locating wildlife with an aircraft."
As for individual states' elaboration on this law, some add an element of time to the prohibition against the use of airplanes on hunts. Some forbid the use before, during, and in one instance, even after a season closes. The variation in state regulations surprised me, and therein lies a potential problem for hunters. If you're like me, I thought that it was pretty simple - you couldn't fly and hunt on the same day. The good news is, that's true in New Mexico and Montana. The bad news is, I would have been breaking the law in four states (Arizona, Colorado,........(continued)
